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Our Strategic Planning 
Process

Team Building Session
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Strategic Planning Updates - July 2025

 

Our strategic planning team and advisory board have been busy leading listening sessions with both church members, community leaders, and mission partners. We have completed ten listening sessions so far to help us dive deeper into our findings from earlier congregational surveys and analyses of congregational data. We will hold one final general listening session on Tuesday, July 14, 7pm on zoom. Contact Jenn Swanson (jeniko3@gmail.com) for more details.

 

On June 21, we met with our consultant, Rev. Sarai Rice, to begin the transition from data collection to data analysis. We are well on track to begin summarizing and sharing our findings this fall and winter. Our core planning team will meet again on September 13 to begin the writing process for the final report to the congregation.

 

We hope that you will continue to pray for our congregation during this strategic planning process. We will provide updates on the church website at www.fpcarlington.org/plan. Questions about the strategic planning process may also be addressed to Pastor Billy or the new Elder for Administration, Carlyle Gregory.

Our 
Strategic Planning Teams

Strategic planning team:

Lynnette Yount

Jeff Burrowes

Laurel Bauer

Amber Kirby Talley

Rev. B.E. Kluttz

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Strategic planning advisory board:

Jennifer Swanson, deacon

Julie Bosland, elder

Robert Tobiassen, trustee

Clint Brass

Ethan Ledig

Timeline and Key Dates

  • Building our team 

    • Congregational informational sessions - September and October 2024 

    • Administration committee nominates strategic planning team

    • Commissioning of strategic planning team during worship - fall 2024

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  • Macro-level data collection

    • Financial and stewardship analysis - August and September 2024

      • Members of the strategic planning team and session met with the Presbyterian Foundation in February 2025 to discuss those reports and recommendations. A few key takeaways from that conversation were:

        • The financial health of the church is both strong and well managed. 

        • While data show there is generous giving across age ranges, the Foundation notes that participation in giving among church participants and members in their 30s and 40s is a potential area for growth.

        • The report notes the financial soundness of the current spending choices of the church, but notes that an increase to program spending to support the growing ministries of First Presbyterian Church is an avenue that would be beneficial to explore.

    • Informational sessions for congregation - September 15 and October 13, 2024

    • Applications open for strategic planning team - September 2024

    • Congregational survey - October and November 2024

      • The survey is now complete. 82 people participated in the survey! Thank you!

    • Commission strategic planning team in worship - December 8, 2024

    • Congregational survey results presentation to the congregation - January 26, 2025 following worship in room 103

      • A few key takeaways from the congregational survey include:​

        • There is a high level of contentment in the congregation, especially regarding our worship.​

        • There is a strong desire for more relational, small group, and fellowship opportunities.

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  • Micro-level data collection

    • Strategic planning team begins meeting with strategic planning consultant, Rev. Sarai Rice - January 2025

    • Congregational listening sessions begin - March and April 2025

    • Community listening sessions/interviews begin - summer 2025

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  • Writing, reporting, implementing

    • Strategic planning team begins reviewing/analyzing data and writing report - August 2025

    • Present final report to session - December 2025

    • Congregational presentations and discussion - beginning in January 2026

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